The Firm is hardly calculated to convert those who find Love’s work brash, clichéd and empty, but there’s a good deal of warmth and humour here.
Comment
09/18/09
The Firm (2009)
76
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:21
Fresh:16
Rotten:5
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: Nick Love's remake of the 1989 original has enough warmth, humor, and -- of course -- violence to make The Firm worthwhile.
Synopsis: Alan Clarke’s 1989 movie about British soccer hooligans is transported to the early '80s in this creative remake. The film follows Dom (Calum McNab), a young man caught up in the enticing world of... [More]
Starring: Calum McNab, Paul Anderson, Daniel Mays, Camille Coduri
Director: Nick Love
Reviews for The Firm
Love’s second movie about hooligans marks a quantum leap forward from the messy, senseless violence of ‘The Football Factory’.
09/18/09
While it doesn’t exactly break new ground thematically, this is Love’s most accomplished film to date. Like the terrace heroes who are its subjects, it’s as good-looking and stylish as it is dangerously seductive.
09/18/09
Top CriticLove's films have, in the past, brought me out in a rash - but this one is watchable. It's well made; there's a persistent and welcome undercurrent of humour in the script that reminded me of Love's sparky debut, Goodbye Charlie Bright,
09/18/09
Top CriticThe odd thing is that Love’s version feels so bright and breezy, as if he’s cosying back up to a wider audience who were turned off by Outlaw’s grimy nihilism. If that’s the case, it’s a wacky choice of subject, but the effort’s appreciated.
09/18/09
The film is covered in talent, including Love’s, of the sort that makes you look forward to the next thing they do. Here, you feel they have a lot to climb over, but there are scenes where the attempt to get close to something real is powerfully inspired.
09/18/09
It's all ridiculously clichéd and over the top, yet once you give up taking it seriously and surrender to its relentless blokeishness, The Firm proves to be an enjoyable Shane Meadows-lite ride with a bit of wideboy charm.
09/18/09
Love's film is ultimately pointless, having nothing new to say on the issues of male bonding, acceptance and tribalism.
09/18/09
Love seems happier with his affectionate re-creation of the early '80s than with exploring the contradictions at the heart of this subculture.
09/18/09
A redundant compendium of blokeish cliches.
09/18/09
While The Firm is slick, evocative and very violent, Love supplies yet further proof that hooligan movies have gone about as far as they can.
09/18/09
Putdowns such as "You couldn't hit water if you fell out of a boat" crackle throughout, fun is poked at Eighties fashion and the characters feel real.
09/18/09
Top CriticA sleek, if superfluous, remake.
09/18/09
The best things about this are spanking dialogue and razor-sharp slang and the plethora of new faces it introduces to the screen. But as far as the impact is concerned Love has bottled out.
09/18/09
Given that the original's on DVD, Love's done hooliganism, and the plot gets shut down just when it's getting interesting: why?
09/18/09
The Firm is never less than watchable, thanks to some amusing dialogue and strong performances from its two leads, but there's nothing here to mark it out from other hooligan dramas.
09/18/09
This umpteenth take on the same old story is a pretty polished effort from writer-director Nick Love, you need a lot more than a snazzy soundtrack and Jimmy Savile's tracksuit collection to make it worth an unqualified thumbs-up.
09/18/09
Love, a visual stylist with nothing original to say, delivers plenty of sickening violence, but softens the outcome – and the point – with a sentimental, redemptive ending.
09/18/09
Intense, exciting and impressive.
09/11/09
Top CriticA fresh angle on a mini-classic. It’s about ’80s football violence, yes, but it’s also about today’s gang culture. And friendship and family. Nick Love shoots… and scores.
09/11/09
Latest News for The Firm
September 17, 2009:
Five Favourite Films with Nick Love
Nick Love isn't known for heart. The film which earned him his "From the director of..." title card, The Football Factory, is nothing if not violent, loud and not particularly... More...
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